A federal judge on Monday ruled that Utah must recognize the marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples before the Supreme Court issued a stay on the December ruling that struck down the state's gay marriage ban.

"These legal uncertainties and lost rights cause harm each day that the marriage is not recognized," Judge Dale Kimball wrote in his opinion, according to the Associated Press.

After a federal judge ruled the state's law unconstitutional in December, more than 1,000 same-sex couples were married. The Supreme Court then issued a stay on the ruling, putting gay marriages on hold while the state appeals the decision.